Career History

Rick graduated in 1996 from Kansas University. He spent the first eight years of his career in the design engineering field. From there Rick took a position with the University of Nebraska Medical Center as an owner’s representative. Rick joined UNMC as a project manager, then was promoted to the manager of engineering and finished the final four years of his career at UNMC as the Director of Engineering and Strategic Energy Initiatives. It was these final years at UNMC where Rick developed his passion for saving energy. He believes that it is possible to make a building very efficient yet functional. He also believes it is possible to utilize the latest in technology while still keeping the building simple to operate. It was also in this role as an owner’s representative where Rick gained his appreciation for the service and maintenance work. He understands the important role this plays in the long term success of both the energy efficiency and the functionality of the building. Rick saw the benefits of the commissioning and energy optimization projects and saw an opportunity to take that concept to the next level to help other organizations. It was because of this passion to make systems operate more efficiently and effectively while still keeping them simple that Rick founded Optimized Systems. Outside of work Rick enjoys spending time with his wife and four children.

Background and Community Involvement

Long-time volunteer for various sports clubs throughout the Omaha metro